Life's priorities
by i'll-be-here-2002
Summary: Sometimes life decides to play with you. Sometimes things don't happen according to plan. Sometimes you have go away from someone because it's wrong time and wrong place. Sometimes you have to put yourself first because once you gave every little bit of yourself to someone, there's nothing left. And sometimes, that's not good enough...
1. Chapter 0

**Hello everyone.**

 **First, I have to say thank you guys for understanding that sometimes life gets complicated and you have to give up from something you love because you need to sort your life first. It's been really hectic for me last few months and I haven't done any writing so that's why I'm this late with first chapter.**

 **Also, thank you guys for understanding that sometimes you get a good idea but when you start to write it, it just suck and you want to try it all over again. I am trying and I hope you'll like it.**

 **I hope that you won't mind that I changed beginning of the story, I need a clean slate for starting. Later on, I'll use parts of old chapters. I promise. I just didn't like start. Something wasn't right for me. The idea is same just few things are changed.**

 **Also, I promise to try to update every few weeks, two to three weeks depends on how much work will keep me from writing.**

 **Have a good day and good reading :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone.** **Once again, for anyone who didn't get notice, first chapter is an authors note where I say that I changed a few things and I hope you'll like it. I just had to changed first few chapters because I didn't like them. Later on I'll use parts of olds one. Just hope you'll like it.**

 **P.s. review wouldn't be that bad :)**

∼ xXx∼

She was standing in her room. Thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. She looked at the pictures on her nightstand. There's a funny thing about pictures, you'll always look happy on them.

She looks at the pictures where her parents are. Their wedding day. They looked so happy and so in love, just like perfect couple, like some high school sweethearts. And they were happy some time, they got her as product of love. But it wasn't the one love where your heart beats like crazy, where you forget yourself, where you can't breathe without that person, where every cell in your body screams for that person. With time, everything started to fade so as their love. Her father moved away and after some time they got divorced. It was for the best, but her father never forgot her even on his last breath he told her to never stop living and dreaming and loving.

She wipes a tear that came down her cheek. It's bad luck if bride cries, right?

She looks at another picture where she stands with her best friends Katherine and Kol. It was on their first day at college. Three of them randomly choose the same apartment with three bedrooms near their college in New York. Usually, people would be shy for the first week or month, but they three just hit it. Kol is the wild one, Katherine is the hard one and she's the nice one. On the first night they got drunk and went out. Let's just say that night stays between three of them.

She smiles at the memories that comes in here head. Just two of them made her past few years great. Everything they done was awesome.

And finally she looks at the picture of him and her. She still remembers that day as if it was yesterday. She just came on the JFK and decided to go with subway and there was some guy that just seemed to follow her all the way to the home. Before she got out, she called Kol to pick her up on the station because it just creped her out. Once she got out, she made eye contact with Kol and pointed him to the guy which got out on the same station as here. Kol just started to laugh. She was confused. Kol forgot to tell her that his brother would come to visit and you can probably guess who the guy was.

At first it was awkward a bit, that first week. But after a month of his staying with them, you just got to miss him once he's gone. She knew she was goner for him once she woke up and realise that he won't be there to make her coffee while he drank tee and have small talk with her in the morning. She realized how much she loved that, just two of them talking about anything while Kat and Kol were sleeping. But she promised to herself that she won't start anything with him because of Kol, she didn't want to screw up their friendship.

After two years, she finally give in. He was persistent and didn't give up. For two years he was flying in as much as he could, he called her, they emailed and skyped. He always sent her some present for her birthday or Christmas or when he just felt like. Every time he came in New York, he would tried to spend as so much time with her as possible.

It was her birthday and she just got finish with her finals. On her birthday and she just had a feeling she screw that up. But what anger her more is that not Kat not Kol remember it's her birthday. They usually had a tradition with morning cake and campaign but no. They just forgot it's her birthday. She got home and her mom called her to hear her and say happy birthday. Just as she finished her call, Kat send her a text that she comes on the rooftop. When she came up, she was speechless. It was perfect, just some lights around little garden and some tents around so they could pretend to camp. To be honest, she would love to camp around but she's too scared of bugs. Then came Kol and Kat to say happy birthday for her and direct her to the corner of the rooftop. There she saw him and she realized that he done that for her. That's the moment she give in and Kol started fireworks because he was rooting for them.

„Hey honey "Kat says as she comes in. Her maid of honour.

With one look at her, she knew the truth. He won't be there. She smiled to herself „I knew it. "

Kat hugs her right away. „There's no need for hugging Kat, I'm fine. I overheard him other day talking to Mikael. I don't know why I even put dress on me when I knew he won't come. "

„Why haven't you told me or confront him? "

„Why? "She smiles bittersweet to herself, „Well, I hoped that our love was strong enough to make through every obstacle. But I was wrong. "

„You know, sometimes you believe that life can be good, that there's finally peace in your life. But then life happens. It just proves you that there's no guarantee in life. That even when everything seems good, it can become bad. "She continues. „But what can I say? I got used to that the ones I love never stay. "

In that moment she remember her mom. It's been a year since she passed away. You thought that being a chief officer in the small town won't put her in life threatening situations but there you got wrong. She tried to stop robbery at gas station and got shot near heart. The moment they called her, she flew on the first airplane. Doctors said that her condition is critical and she's in coma right now. She got in and stayed by her bed for some time. Her mom opened her eyes, smiled at her and told her to never forget how loved she is and how proud of her she is. That were her final words.

Out of nowhere, Kol busts in the room with the booze. „I think we need to drink this up and then we'll think of something to do. But I promise you this, I'll beat him up when I see him. "He sat next to her and hug her.

„I need to ask you two a favour but you have to promise me that you won't tell no one."

„Sure „they say in union. „Whatever it is, we are here for you."

„I need to disappear. " She says.

„Explain. " Kat says while she looks at her with stern eyes while offering her a bottle which she refuse.

„I need to go somewhere where he can't and won't ever find me. Only you two would know my location, no one else. Even if you get married to someone else, if I don't say that you can tell, than you can't tell. I need to have peace for once in my life and sort it good. Because „she hugs her belly „it's no longer just me. I'm pregnant. "

First, they were in shock. But moment later, Kol explodes „I'm going to kill him. Trust me, I'm going to kill him. Tell me did he know? I'm going to fucking kill me. He is my brother, but I don't have a word to say that will equals enough with what he done to you."

„No he didn't know. I planned to tell him that day when I overheard him talking with Mikael. Then I promised to myself, if he show ups on the wedding day, I'll tell him. "

„For how long? " Kat asks barely above whisper.

„Two months."

„Fine, I'll help you. Kol, are you in? "

„Of course. Never question that. Anything for Care and now my nephew or niece. "Kol says as he hugs her.

∼ xXx∼

 _Six years later…_

She's in a park. It has a nice walking trail decorated with old kind of street lights which gives very romantic feeling if you are walking at night. On the end of a walking trail there's a little hill from which you can see whole park. When you get up, you feel like you conquer the world i.e. park. But then you turn your back to the walking trail and see there's more to the park then you can imagine. You see one big meadow where you can have picnic or play with your dog or have a barbeque with your friends or go lie next to the small like.

It's a park where she loves to be with her daughter. It's a little heaven on the Earth. Right now they are playing the catch and of course she's not even trying to run because she can in a few step catch Emily. But Emily enjoys running around and she loves to see her smiling all the time so she's pretending to trying to catch her.

„Hey honey! Slow down, mommy can't catch you if you run this fast! "She says as she's pretending to run for her daughter.

„But mommy you have to catch me. I'll slow down if I'm too fast for you. "Emily says with her wide smile.

„I'll catch you honey! You don't need to slow down for me. "She says as she speed up a little as she catch her under her armpits and rise her up. "Gotcha you" she says as she kisses her in the cheek.

"I knew you would catch me mommy." Emily says as she hugs her and yawns a bit. "Mommy can we go home? I'm tired."

Caroline laughs, her daughter. So forthcoming with everything. What she has in mind, it'll happened. Just like her father. She also has his smile i.e. dimples and his eyes, too. Also his curly hair but everything else is her. She's bubbly and stubborn, she's always there for her friends and doesn't mind sharing her stuff. She's little angel which can make you feel better.

"Yes we can honey. After you take a nap, we can go pick up aunt Kat at the airport."

"Yeeey, auntie Kat is coming. What do you think that she got me this time?" Emily says.

"Honey, whatever it is, I think you'll love it. You know how aunt Kat and uncle Kol loves to give you presents."

She puts Emily down and takes her by the hand and starts to walk home. It's really their luck that park is only fifteen minutes away from their apartment by foot. Emily is rambling about how she wants to go to the zoo with aunt Kat when she hears someone calling her name. She turns around and stops.

"Caroline? Is that really you?"

In that moment she realize that her hiding space wasn't good enough. She got discovered.


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello** **everyone** **, I hope you like it better this version. Maybe it'll be a shorter than first version, but it will be better. I promise.**

 **Once again, for anyone who didn't get notice, I already update first chapter so if you didn't read it, please read it so it can make sense this chapter.**

 **.Winchester.17** **thank you for a review. I hope you like this part :)**

∼ xXx∼

 _Previously…_

" _Caroline? Is that really you?"_

 _In that moment she realize that her hiding space wasn't good enough. She got discovered._

She felt like the whole world has stopped. Like there's nothing else to do right now then watching how everything crumbles in the pieces. She tried to protect her daughter for so long that she never thought she'll be discovered. She thought she found a safe place to stay. But yet again, life happened.

"Hello Elijah. How are you? What are you doing here?" she tried to sweat talk with him to distract him from seeing Emily. Elijah is the smartest one in their family. He always knew how to connect dots.

"I'm good, actually very well. My reasons for coming here it's a bit embarrassing but if you have time for coffee I can explain it. But promise me you won't laugh at me. I see, I don't need to ask you how you are. I see that your dreams finally came true. Who's the lucky guy?" Elijah asks pointing on Emily in my hands.

"Oh, this is Emily, my daughter. She's a bit shy right now and sleepy too. But her father is busy so he's not really around." Caroline glares Elijah signals him to leave this topic while Emily is here. "I would love to say yes to the coffee but Emily wants to sleep. Unless you want to come at our apartment and have coffee there." Caroline offers him.

"Well, I loved to. I really want to catch up with you. Six years we haven't see each other. A lot of things has happened. Do you need a help with carrying Emily? I can take her."

"No, there's no need. She likes my smell, it calms her down when she's sleepy." Caroline says. In that moment Emily leans to her and whispers on her ear "Mommy who is this?"

"Honey, this is Elijah. He's aunties Kat husband. They are getting married soon."

"Really?" Emily says and turns to Elijah "Can I come to your wedding? I'm going to be a good girl. Auntie Kat is the best!"

Elijah chuckles before he speaks "Of course you can, you can even be a flower girl if you want." Elijah says and smiles before he looks really good at Emily.

"Caroline..." he stops a bit in a shock "How old is Emily?" Elijah looks at Caroline like he's seeing a ghost.

"She's five and half." She answers as she continues to walk down the street. They are near her apartment. This topic isn't to talk about on the street or in front of Emily. Elijah follows them but he is lost in his thoughts. He is connecting dots. Maybe he'll even finally understand why Kat came here so often, why she couldn't tell him, why Kol and Kat always looked like they have some secret bond, why she disappear all of sudden.

She got a bit tired of keeping Emily as secret but it's for the best. It's the best for Emily. Mikaelson family never brings anything good with them. Their children are good, but somehow being with them she's rarely ever got good things in her life. Except maybe Kol, he's the good one. He maybe seems like a child but he's loyal friend.

"Caroline, she's is the reason why Kat has come here so often? She never cheated me? She just couldn't tell me why?"

"Yes, but we'll talk later. Can you grab a keys from my bag and unlock front door so we can get in the lobby? Emily fell asleep and I can't really manoeuvre that good with her in my hands?"

Elijah nods and takes keys from her bag and unlocks doors. It's a good thing that elevator is in the lobby. "We are on the third floor."

They stay silent because Elijah needs to process everything and Caroline knows it's not easy after all this time. She just knew as soon as Elijah takes one good look at Emily he'll know whose Emily's father. Their resemblance is remarkable. She has his curly hair, his eyes and his smile. And by his smile she thinks of his dimples, something that only he has in their family, something that's so rarely in the world that makes him irresistible. She also has his talent for drawing. She likes to draw. Maybe she's not as talented as he is, but she'll be. Among the five years olds in her day care group. She has her drawings all around apartment. It makes it feel like home. Just like her mom had hers.

She put Emily in her bed and put her wolf next to her. She just loves that plush toy. They can't go anywhere without it. Emily loves to hug it when she's sleeping. She says for some reason it makes her calm down when Caroline isn't here. But she doesn't know that her father said once to Caroline that he feels like wolf is his animal, that wolf is his favourite animal.

So much resemblance even tho they never meet.

"Hey" Caroline says to Elijah while she's sitting on the couch "We have a lot of thing to talk about but first I need to eat, do you want to join me?"

"Yeah, sure, why not?"

"Follow me, I'm making sandwiches because I really don't want to cook right now. Emily is like me, if she smells food in the air, she'll wake up."

"Oh, I remember that. It was so funny when Rebekah didn't know that, she was so scared at first." Elijah chuckles.

"Yeah, well, what can I say, food was my first love, now is Emily." Caroline says before she starts to eat. It's really easy to make sandwich when you have everything already cut, you just need to put everything on the slice of a bread.

Elijah just let her eat in a peace because no one likes to be interrupt while eating. He lost appetite because everything he found out and he knows there are more. He just needs to wait for her to finish.

"Do you still like your coffee black with no sugar?" Caroline asks. Sometimes that surprises Elijah because she always remember little things about people.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm surprised you remember that. It's been too long to remember all the little things about people."

"But not too long if you care for them." Caroline says as she puts coffee in front of him. She contemplates whether to start talking here or sit on the couch.

"Let's sit on the couch and you can start asking me everything you want to know. We have two hours before Emily awakes and four hours before I need to get Kat at the airport."

"I want to know what happen with you since that day. Like every little thing." Elijah ask her.

She looks him in the eyes trying to decide what to do, what to say. It was bound to happen. She knew that but somehow she hopped it won't happen that soon.

"But before I start, I need you to tell me why you came here. I need you to tell me what you know so I can fill the gaps."

"Well, the real reason why I came here because I needed to know what's going on in this town that Katherine goes so often. It haunted me for almost two years. I knew there was something or someone, but I never knew what or who. I remember how she whispered with Kol few days before she went here and other way around. I guess she forgot that we share bank account and Kol forgot that his trust fund is connected with me."

He looks away. He stands up and walks to the fridge and takes one of Emily's drawings. He takes drawing on which Emily has drawn Caroline, Kol, Kat and her. Next to that drawing there's a picture of four or them somewhere with smiles on their faces.

"I asked her thousand times and Kol too, but neither of them told me. They just said they wish they can tell me but it's something beyond me, beyond our marriage that it's better for me not to know because my morals wouldn't let me keep that as a secret." He smiles to himself "Maybe she's right you know. She always knew me better. I always was a noble man."

"Yeah, that's one of reasons we decided not to tell you. You couldn't live with it. Your conscience wouldn't give you peace." Caroline says.

"I'm sorry. I really am."

She nodded at him. She knew very well what he meant when he said that he is sorry. It meant that Emily no longer can be a secret. It meant that her father will finally know about her. It meant that her game of hide and seek is over. It meant that she has to confront her ghost of past. It meant so much.

"I know you are. I know." She hugs him.

He still looks at the picture where four of them are. "Where was this taken?"

"It was taken a year ago in the park where you found us. We were having a picnic because Emily wanted that. She saw it on the TV and said that she wants to go on picnic. We had fun that day. We played catch and with frisbee. It was a good day."

"I wish I could be with you guys." Elijah says as his crumbles down. Maybe if he wasn't so noble maybe he could have a chance to know his niece. But his heart doesn't give him peace. It just isn't right. It isn't right for his brother not to know about his daughter, but also it isn't right for his niece and Care to go through it because of him.

"Stop thinking about it. I knew that we would get caught at some point. It's a miracle it took us six years to be caught."

"Care, how come you are so acceptable about all of this? How come you didn't crumble down on your wedding day? How come you are so strong? How come you are so optimistic? How come even tho life treats you bad, you fight it back? I'm admiring you."

"Well it's all for Emily. She's my anchor. She keeps me right in my mind, she keeps me willing to fight, and she keeps me happy. She's source of my power." Caroline continues " At first it was hard to accept everything and make peace with it. Maybe I haven't made a peace like I have wanted but everything I've done was for her. Nobody else."

"But how? It seems like you never were hurt or anything. It seems like you are some sort of phoenix."

"Maybe I am. I don't know. I mean in the end we are humans. We live, we feel, we suffer, we fight, we survive. We don't give up. Even tho everything inside is hurt, we just keep fight back, we just find another reason to live. That's just life as it is. We live, feel and suffer, but we fight back."


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello** **everyone** **, I hope you like it better this version. Maybe it'll be a shorter than first version, but it will be better. I promise.**

∼ xXx∼

 _Previously…_

" _Well it's all for Emily. She's my anchor. She keeps me right in my mind, she keeps me willing to fight, and she keeps me happy. She's source of my power." Caroline continues "At first it was hard to accept everything and make peace with it. Maybe I haven't made a peace like I have wanted but everything I've done was for her. Nobody else."_

" _But how? It seems like you never were hurt or anything. It seems like you are some sort of phoenix."_

" _Maybe I am. I don't know. I mean in the end we are humans. We live, we feel, we suffer, we fight, we survive. We don't give up. Even tho everything inside is hurt, we just keep fight back, we just find another reason to live. That's just life as it is. We live, feel and suffer, but we fight back."_

"So then, what happened with you all this time? How did you managed everything?" Elijah asks.

"Well, at first it was very difficult. You remember that I took Kat and Kol with me on a trip which should have been my honeymoon. We went in Croatia, it's a small land in Europe, a bit different from us but very beautiful country and good people. We were a month there, we went in Rovinj, Split, Zadar and Dubrovnik. Actually in reverse order. It was a good thing that we left. I remember last day when we were in Rovinj before we return home."

∼ Start of flashback ∼

It's last day of her vacation, last day of pretending that nothing hasn't happened, that everything's fine. She decides to take a walk alone. She needs to ease her mind before they leave. She needs to make a peace with everything.

She takes her bag with her and leaves their hotel room with a note that says _'Went for a walk, meet you at restaurant for a dinner.'_

She went for a walk and decided to walk through a small breakwater that is there. It's paved with big white stones that stands there since a long time. They never took a tour guide, they just decided to explore on their own. At least as much as they can since she's pregnant.

Today there aren't any sun on the sky, there are clouds and it's a bit windy. She can feel wind in her hair, that's one of a things that she likes about wind. It goes through your hair and passes away. It's like you have sand in your hair and wind takes it with itself. That's the real reason she likes wind, because it feels like it's taking away pain and bad memories.

She comes at the end of a breakwater and looks at the white rose in her hand. It's time to say goodbye to everything and it's time to rebuild herself and her life again. No more pain, no more bad feelings. It's time to forgive and move. If it's not for her, at least for her baby.

She brings rose near her lips before she speaks "I always loved when you bought me a white rose. It was our sign. We were good. We really had something, you know? I really saw us in a future siting on a porch in our house with white fence and looking around at our grandkids. But life happens. Everyone has different priorities. Maybe I wasn't yours number one like you were mine but I'm okay with that. You always wanted Mikael approval."

She takes a deep breath before she continues.

"This baby will only feel love in her life, she'll be happy and have a good life. I'm not going to let her or him to be constant reminder of something that could have been. She or he deserves more. Yeah, maybe we could have been just like every average happy couple. But that, that wasn't enough for you."

She wipes tears away. "And I forgive you for that. But because of that, I'm letting you go. Goodbye." She kisses the rose and throws it in the water. Let the water carry away everything.

∼ End of flashback ∼

"And that's how I made peace with everything and move on." Caroline says.

"That's very mature thing to do." Elijah tries to come with the words but it's not really easy.

"Well that happens when you know that you are no longer responsible for your life only, now you have someone to look after who depends on you." Caroline smiles at thought of Emily. "She my angel."

"I believe you. If she's anything like you, everybody will love her. I believe she's one of the loveliest kid in her day care." Elijah says.

"Yeah, she is. No one can resist her with her eyes and her dimple smile. Just like her father."

"Oh, don't forget he's so good with a words and twisting it. That's one of a reasons he's such a good lawyer. He's one of important people in our firm."

Caroline smirks to herself "Didn't think so that he'll go in anywhere else. Everything for Mikaels approval."

"Care, you know that that's not true?" Elijah says.

"Always so moral Elijah, you know exactly why he always needed his approval." Caroline says. "He even lost me so that he can get his approval. I heard them a month before wedding day."

Elijah look at her like he is contemplating whether to tell her something or not. "Let's say that I agree with you, but still there's no reason for you not to tell him that he has a child."

"Well, when I came back from vacation, I tried to reach him. But I got a one big nice surprise."

∼ Start of flashback ∼

She takes phone in her hands and calls Kol one last time. She can do this.

"Hello" Kol says.

"Hi Kol, are you hundred percent sure that he's home right now?"

"Yes, now go there and tell him honey."

"Okay, bye!"

She can do this, he deserves to know that he has a daughter and then she can walk away and never come back. She won't keep her hidden from him. It's right thing to do. She doesn't want him back. She just came here to tell him that he has daughter and if her ever want to be in her life, he can contact her through Kol.

She is standing on a pavement for some time, trying to find courage in herself to cross the road and knock on his door. It used to be theirs door. It used to be their apartment. Outside everything seemed like nothing has changed, but everything is. They were no longer the same people.

As she approaches the crossroad she sees him leaving their apartment with some girl underneath his hand. He looks happy with that smile all along his face. She steps back as she watches the scene in front of her. He is holding hands with her, he's opening car door for her and closing it and then rushes to his side.

As soon as car leaves driveway, she turns her back to car and leaves.

That's not the same man that she wanted to marry. The man she wanted to marry loved her. This is someone else. Or maybe this is real him, only he acted so good that she believed him to love her.

However it takes, he doesn't deserve to know that he has daughter if in a month he can find a new girlfriend even tho he was in a relationship for four years.

∼ End of flashback ∼

"I'm sorry Care, I didn't know that. I'm so sorry. I don't have a words to say." Elijah looks like he's in a complete shock.

They stayed silent. Maybe that's the best for now. She stands up and goes to the kitchen. She decides to clean up dishes and leave Elijah in peace so that everything calms down in his mind.

But that means that she's inside her mind where are some deep secret she never told anyone.

Nobody knows how much she misses him, nobody knows how much she wants him, nobody knows how much she's hurt, nobody knows how her heart breaks when she thinks about everything. Nobody knows how much it hurts to love and to think it was both ways and then have you heart destroyed in pieces. Nobody knows to how many time she falls down, how loneliness creeps on her on the dark nights when she lies in her bed alone.

Yeah, she has her baby, she's her everything, there isn't a thing in a world she wouldn't do for her, for her happiness. But once she grows up, she'll find someone else to make her happy and she'll have her kids.

She tried to move on, she tried to date, but it never worked. Every time she came home after date, memories would come up in her mind.

She had taste of what love could be. She knows what she's missing. But she learned to live with it.

Sometimes she must put that mask on her face to pretend that she's okay, that she isn't missing him or their love, or that she wants him here with her to raise their daughter. But that's not an option. He made a choice and she respects it.

"You know, in the end, I still think he deserves to know. At least for Emily sakes."

"Yeah, as she gets older she's asking more about her father and I think that a lie where I say that he works a lot and isn't able to come starts to fade. It will be soon before she learns to ask right question that I'll no longer have answers. But she'll not be old enough to know the truth, what really happened. I agree with you." Caroline says.

"If you want me to, I can make some arrangement that you meet him in a neutral territory. Only when you are ready. I'm not going to push you when, just think you should tell him. Even tho he doesn't deserve after everything you saw with your eyes and heard with yours ears, I just think that maybe you could give him a chance. Maybe things aren't black and white."

"I need to think about it."

Maybe things aren't black and white in life, maybe life is grey but we think there are black and white. Maybe everyone deserve second chance to explain themselves, but I don't know. I think that right know we grew up so much and changed even more that we are like black and white that I doubt that we could be together.

But heart wants what it wants, after all this years…


End file.
